Gaming machines which provide players awards in primary or base games are well known. Gaming machines generally require the player to place or make a wager to activate the primary or base game. In many of these gaming machines, the award is based on the player obtaining a winning symbol or symbol combination and on the amount of the wager (e.g., the higher the wager, the higher the award). Symbols or symbol combinations which are less likely to occur usually provide higher awards.
Secondary or bonus games are also known in gaming machines. The secondary or bonus games usually provide an additional award to the player. Secondary or bonus games usually do not require an additional wager by the player to be activated. Secondary or bonus games are generally activated or triggered upon an occurrence of a designated triggering symbol or triggering symbol combination in the primary or base game. For instance, a bonus symbol occurring on the payline on the third reel of a three reel slot machine may trigger the secondary bonus game. When a secondary or bonus game is triggered, the gaming machines generally indicates this to the player through one or more visual and/or audio output devices, such as the reels, lights, speakers, video screens, etc. Part of the enjoyment and excitement of playing certain gaming machines is the occurrence or triggering of the secondary or bonus game (even before the player knows how much the bonus award will be). In other words, obtaining a bonus event and a bonus award in the bonus event is part of the enjoyment and excitement for players.
Progressive awards associated with gaming machines are also known. In one form, a progressive award is an award amount which includes an initial amount and an additional amount funded through a portion of each wager made on the progressive gaming machine. For example, 0.1% of each wager placed on the primary game of a gaming machine may be allocated to the progressive award or progressive award fund. The progressive award grows in value as more players play the gaming machine and more portions of the players' wagers are allocated to the progressive award. When a player obtains a winning symbol or symbol combination which results in the progressive award, the accumulated progressive award is provided to the player. After the progressive award is provided to the player, the amount of the next progressive award is reset to the initial value and a portion of each subsequent wager is allocated to the next progressive award.
A progressive award may be associated with a single gaming machine or multiple gaming machines which each contribute portions of the progressive award. The multiple gaming machines may be in the same bank of machines, in the same casino or gaming establishment (usually through a local area network (“LAN”)) or in two or more different casinos or gaming establishments (usually through a wide area network (“WAN”)). Such progressive awards are sometimes called local area progressives (“LAP”) and wide area progressives (“WAP”), respectively.
Mystery bonus awards are also known. Such bonus awards are classified as mystery awards because they are not based on any generated symbol or symbol combination nor is it readily apparent to the player why such bonus award(s) are provided. One type of known mystery bonus award is associated with a range of values. For this type of mystery bonus award, a triggering event occurs and a progressive award is provided to a player of a gaming device in the gaming system when that progressive award increments or increases to a designated value (i.e., the progressive hit value) within the range of values associated with that progressive award. For example, a first progressive award is associated with a value range of $10 to $100 wherein, a triggering event will occur and the first progressive award will be provided to a player when the value of the first progressive award increments to a first progressive hit value of $54.65. It should be appreciated that the amount which this progressive award may be incremented to is capped or limited by the highest value in the value range associated with such progressive award.
While such mystery progressive awards are popular amongst players, a number of problems exist with these known mystery progressive award gaming systems. For example, when a progressive award is provided at another gaming machine, a player may feel deflated and not wish to continue playing for a base or reset level progressive award. Such feelings can lead to certain players walking away with jackpot fatigue. That is, jackpot fatigue can occur when a player no longer finds an award desirable or worth the cost of continuing to play. This desire to quit playing is also due to the fact that a player may feel they must wait a substantial period of time for the progressive award to climb back to a high value.
There is a continuing need to provide new and different gaming machines and gaming systems as well as new and different ways to provide awards to players including bonus and progressive awards.